Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Petersen.
Hi Jessica, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Well, the story is a different one for sure! I went to school for fashion, The Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC and when I graduated I already had a job in the children’s design part of the industry. I continued my career in fashion moving from children’s wear to plus size women’s wear and then after a move to California starting my own plus size swimwear brand, Sorella Swim. After 11 years owning my own business and losing my passion for the fashion industry, I decided to pursue another long time passion, fitness! As an avid runner and fitness enthusiast my entire life, since the age of 10, it seemed only natural that the world of fitness is where I was always meant to be! I took a class at WundaBar Pilates in Valencia, CA and after that one class I said to my husband, “I think I’m going to get my Pilates teaching certification,” and that is where it all began! I have been teaching Pilates for 8 years now and during that time I explored and became certified as a personal trainer, a group fitness instructor, a spin instructor, and various other unique modalities like TRX and Tribe Team Training. I believe in always learning and always growing, so these various fitness modalities play a huge role in making me a better Pilates educator. My love for Pilates runs deep and has become clear it was my calling all along! The pandemic outbreak is when I launched my virtual training via YouTube and Zoom, but our move to Nashville was the catalyst to launch my full OnDemand platform, Pilates by JessPFit. I run Pilates by JessPFit in conjunction with my husband, Otto, who is the mastermind behind all my YouTube content and my social media presence. We are in our second year with the platform and have many exciting endeavors planned as the platform continues to grow. YouTube has pulled in sponsorship and partnerships with brands like Bob & Brad, Balanced Body, HelloFresh, ToeSox, Reformer Loops and more. I feel blessed to do something everyday that I love! Not one minute of it feels like work and I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. I am where I belong!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My journey through my fitness career and the world of Pilates has been far from smooth. It is well known that as a fitness instructor you make very little money and it is a constant hustle. I am blessed to be in a situation where my husband and his business are the primary support for the family. However, making the OnDemand platform profitable and a worth while endeavor is important and a continuous struggle. After operating a swimwear manufacturing business for 11 years I learned many, many things and one of them was never to enter into the world of selling product again! and the other was operate as lean as possible for as long as possible. My husband and I are the only two people that make up Pilates by JessPFit, but the workload is enormous and never-ending. We work hard to find balance as a couple, as a family and as business partners, but I’d be lying if I said that was easy. We work 7 days a week and many times until very late at night, but ultimately the flexibility we have working for ourselves is priceless! Fitness is finicky and loyalty is rare in this industry. Clients lose interest and struggle with consistency making it very difficult to retain members. Fueling the platform with content and the content that members want is also a challenge. I keep open and constant communication with my members knowing the more information I can gather from them the better equipped I am in maintaining a growing membership base. My members are my Pilates family and I treat them that way!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a Pilates educator. I like to refer to myself as an “educator” rather than a “teacher” because the goal for my members is to not only learn Pilates as a form of fitness, but to also learn more about their body so they can find a deeper connection and move with more intention. Knowledge is power and the more they can learn, connect and grow the more powerful they will feel and that feels awesome! I specialize in contemporary style Pilates meaning I enjoy being creative and incorporating other fitness modalities into my flows while adhering to the foundation and fundamentals of Pilates. You will never get bored with me! No two flows are ever the same. Now, I do also take my members through the classical repertoire on both the mat and the Reformer because I strongly believe in the power of that work, but I will always integrate contemporary work. I am known for my creativity. The fact that no two classes are the same keeps my members focused on the work and their mind and body connection. I never want you to move on autopilot! We move with purpose, with intention and with confidence. I am extremely proud of the amount of time I spend crafting my classes. There is always a method to my madness. The way sequences are planned, the muscle groups focused on and the props used all make for effective classes leading to growth. The way I cue throughout the class really sets me apart from other Pilates educators. I believe you should be able to execute my class without even looking at me if you focus and listen. I advise my members to get rid of as many distractions as possible when we work together. It is their time to focus on themselves and for them to receive the most benefit from our time together I need their undivided attention. Attention to be able to move with intention!
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I have learned in this crazy journey is that there is no one way to do anything! Learn, adjust, modify, and adapt, but everyday do something a tiny bit better.
Pricing:
- $24.99 monthly membership price for the OnDemand platform (access to all content both Mat Pilates & Reformer Pilates, educational tutorials and LIVE classes)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pilatesbyjesspfit.com/
- Instagram: @pilatesbyjesspfit
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pilatesbyjesspfit
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JessPFit
